Annalisa12

I always get stiffed on bills. I don't drink or like fancy food and usually just have a main and not entrée.

theddo

So do I, but I have a significantly better salary than a lot of my friends. For me to say "well, you cannot nit-pick about $x it's nothing" doesn't make it any less money for them.

And it's rarely 50c. If someone feels that splitting the bill is more than they can afford, and they've eaten cheaper options to be able to pay the bill without having to worry about it that's fine and it's not my place to decide that they should pay for my meal, too, because it doesn't make a difference to me.

The_Bouncer

I was not talking about people who can't afford it. I am also much better off financially than most of my friends. If any friend of mine has genuine concerns about the cost of a meal or drinks, I am frankly perfectly happy to pick up the whole check (and often do). That is not an issue for me in the slightest.

I was talking about (otherwise) professional people on large salaries, who analyse the check in the minutest detail and get the calculator apps (or worse, make the waiter do it) to work out something like:

Person A: €43,40
Person B: €42,80
Person C: €44,10
Person D: €42,90

They then count out the change to the last 10c, and never leave a tip. That irritates me big style. That is when I decide to make a point and throw 3 x 20s on the table and disappear out for a smoke.

DSI

Friends are more important than money, but then again, I really don't hang out with anybody who's poor and the majority of my friends are very affluent.

BTW: I'm proud of this thread. Most of the threads I've started get at most two replies!

Lastly, anyone who's a Flyertalker who doesn't want more points after paying for an extra drink on a bill deserves a suspension. Higher bills, more points, more vacations!

The_Bouncer

Absolutely. Friends are far more important than money. But annoying and ikey business associates, on the other hand...

As you happen to mention points, my MR-earning Amex has seen the inside of quite a few machines in cafés and restaurants.

theddo

I have never met anyone who under those circumstances wouldn't say "split 4 ways?", but yes under those specific circumstances I agree it seems cheap.

If the waiter has already split the check per person I don't force them to redo it.

The_Bouncer

This seriously is the extent some people will go to. I avoid those people if at all possible.

darthbimmer

Friends are more important than money, but a person's behavior with money-- especially their presumptive behavior with other people's money-- affects whether I consider their friendship worth having. As an example, when I was a student I had a small group of friends with whom I'd go out drinking one night a week. We agreed that the simplest and most cost effective way to drink together at a pub was to take turns buying pitchers for the table. There was one guy in the group who'd always manage to have disappeared just before it was his turn to buy. After that happened 2-3 times we decided he was a freeloader and stopped inviting him out with us.

Please also note, this isn't just about money. A person who disrespects other people financially likely also shows disrespect for people in a variety of other ways. Money is just a dimension that's easy to count. @:-)

The_Bouncer

That is a fair comment. I would not tolerate such obvious freeloading either. Fortunately, my friends are all decent about things like this.

Annalisa12

We had a friend who had a reputation for splitting bills to the last cent, even when in a group of 15. At the end of the dinner we'd all be smirking as she went through her spiel...."Mary had a chicken entrée, pasta entrée, 2 drinks and a coke... that will be $25.40, John had no entrée and lobster, 4 beers... that's $43.50".

There was only once when I said to my husband that we were NOT splitting the bill equally. A group of us went to a football game and we agreed to meet after at a Chinese restaurant at a certain time. We got there at the designated time and DB was already eating with half of the group. As we were walking in I said to husband "I don't care what we have to do but I am NOT splitting the bill we will pay for our own food and drink". As I don't drink and don't each much I wasn't splitting the bill with this DB.

MrTemporal

The worst I saw while dining out was a fellow who came in with some friends who all ordered appetizers, a main courses and desserts. For their liquor, the man brought several bottles of his home made wine and paid a corkage fee to have it served at the table. So far so good. But, as he left I heard him tell the server "Some of my homemade wine is left in one of the bottles, that's your tip".

This reminds me of a guy who very nicely decided to collect the money to pay the server. We all pitched in the cost of our food and drink plus a descent tip. He left the money by his plate. As we were walking out to the parking lot, the server came out and asked if the service was really so bad that we would not leave a tip. All of us, except for one, were mortified and dug into our pockets for additional tip money. Later we figured that the guy who collected our cash probably saw the chance to get a 'free' meal at the server's expense. What a jerk!

I agree with you assuming the charges are reasonably close for each person. However, when most of us settle for one beer and the daily lunch special, and Mr. Gulper orders three cocktails and the steak and lobster combo, I get annoyed when the Gulper says "Let's just split it evenly". He knows exactly what he is doing, and this is not what friends to do friends.

CMK10

Can't say I'm surprised by the OP's story. I paid for law school by delivering food for a TGI Friday's. When we'd have Endless Appetizers people would come in with exactly $10.75 ($9.99 plus tax) and eat like you wouldn't believe. I witnessed at least two people literally eat until they threw up. Customers would also ask for to go cups for their drink (usually water of course) and then cram them full of boneless wings and mozzarella sticks as the promo was for dine in only.

lippincottfarm1

We always spend Thanksgiving at our Mexican house. We do a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings. We invite people who do not cook dinner or who don't have the ability to cook (no kitchen). For three years running, a couple came to dinner. The wife asked me to go to lunch with her. At lunch, she hit me up for free legal advice, and then pulled out a calculator to figure out each of our share of the maybe $15.00 US bill. I never invited her back to dinner. When I worked corporate, six of us (female) decided to go out to dinner. We each ordered similar foods, with a glass of wine. One spent at least ten minutes figuring out each persons' share of the bill with her calculator. I never went out to dinner with her again, and when she asked me several years later to recommend her for a job at another place of employment, I declined. Sometimes you pay more than your share, and sometimes you pay less. I prefer to enjoy the dinner with friends, and not worry about the dollar or two difference. I don't carry a coin changer with me so someone can get her 69 cents back from her dollar.